Daryl met Mac's eyes as they made their way down the alley behind Glenn and Andrea. He could see the irritation radiating from him but seen something underneath it as his eyes flicked to Andrea. Shaking his head he elbowed his brother, "Get your goddamn head straight."

"Fuck you." Mac growled lowly.

Both came to a stop and the pair ahead of them slipped through the gate. Daryl could feel the tension in the air like vice gripping his throat as the muffled sounds of walkers feet picked up. Mac shifted next to him and Daryl kneeled next to him waiting on the pair to return.

"You hear that?" Mac's voice was low.

Daryl nodded and both men spun just as some kid walked up on them. Daryl reacted standing to tower over him but Mac was faster snatching ahold of him, "You seen a man, he's been hurt?" Daryl questioned.

"Name Merle." Mac growled.

"What kind of redneck ass name is that?" the boy laughed.

Mac's hand flashed out slapping him hard before Daryl could catch him. As soon as Daryl had him pushed back the boy started yelling out causing both set's of eyes to land on him. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Mac snarled.

"You're gonna bring walkers down on us." Daryl snapped.

Glenn burst through the gate first followed by Andrea just as the scene erupted into the chaos. Daryl was knocked off-balance as someone slammed into Mac from the side. Daryl pushed to his feet jerking the man of his brother sending him back towards Andrea as the little bastard who had screamed tried to make a move to run.

"OH fuck no!" Mac growled jerking him back.

Daryl and Mac both swiveled around at the sound of Andrea's panicked yell as she was jerked into a vehicle as the other man fought with Glenn over the bag of guns. Daryl snarled lifting his crossbow as the other man ran from Glenn. True to his aim he let the bolt fly just as the man got in the vehicle hitting him hard.

The car sped away and he heard Mac slam the boy hard into the wall as Rick and T-dog came down the alley. "What the fuck happened!" Rick barked.

Knocking Mac back from the younger man Daryl watched him his anger rising quickly to the surface matching that of Mac's.

"Yo fuck you! You fucked up shoulda just let it go man, let me go."

"Who the hell is this?"

"Miguel! Your man here comin at me yellin' about some Merle but I wouldn't even name my dog that!"

Daryl charged forward his booted foot flashing out connecting with the boys stomach. "I'll stomp your ass."

Rick hauled him back into Mac as he turned to Glenn, "Where is Andrea!"

Daryl looked over but Mac's words silenced everyone with the danger in his tone, "His friends took her and he's going to take us to them."

There was no question in his tone and Daryl looked to the boy seeing his eyes dilate taking in Mac. Mac entire body was rigid with rage as his chest heaved with his passionate anger. If Daryl had been anyone else he would have just assumed it was cause someone had got a jump on them but he knew better. He had seen the way Mac had watched Andrea, he'd seen the way he kept her within arms reach through this entire fuckin' trip. He'd took Daryl's own gun and handed it off to her and that alone said more for the man than he would ever say on his own. Mac didn't form attachments easy, neither of them did, but some how this woman had got under his skin. He could feel his anger like it was his own and felt his adrenaline spiking his blood. Mac was primed and ready to tear Atlanta down around them to find her.

Following Rick through the back alleys to the original building they had tracked Merle to they settled in. Mac was venomous and everyone was giving him space with only Daryl speaking low to him. He made sure to keep himself between Mac and the boy otherwise things were going to get nasty fast.

"Give me two minutes with him." Mac growled low to Daryl.

Shaking his head, "I get we need to get her back but killin' him aint gonna find her Mac."

Mac gripped his arm jerking him into his body their foreheads touching and with each breath Mac took Daryl felt the brush of his chest hitting his own. "I didn't want to bring her."

Daryl kept his eyes pinned on Mac's, "She made a choice."

"No. We lost Merle and if we don't get her back Amy lost her cause I couldn't keep her ass from coming." Mac growled in a low voice.

Daryl gripped his throat feeling his pulse thunder under his palm, "We're getting them both back."

Daryl stepped away from Mac and turned back to the other men seeing them shifting around all watching the young man. Daryl walked over just as Rick started talking to him listening to the cocky bastard try to give them attitude. He felt Mac shadowing his movements as he circled around and knew he was losing his control.

"Tell us where they would take her." Rick demanded.

The boy shook his head his eyes bright as he looked around the room. His eyes shied away from him and Mac as they both set pinning him with glares. Mac stepped closer to him kneeling slightly and Daryl watched as his brother's hand unconsciously moved for his knife, it was habit they both had that neither could break. Mac huffed and Daryl's eyes flashed down to him seeing his back tense again after he remembered Andrea had the knife he was searching for.

Daryl shoved past Rick meeting the boys eyes, "Where the fuck are they?"

"Fuck you."

Mac moved forward flanking him and he seen the boy's skin flush just slightly seeing the more volatile of the pair. Mac was still breathing harshly his eyes never leaving the boy. Daryl shifted giving Mac room to move past him and it was all the go ahead he needed before he stepped around moving in on the boy. Rick went to step forward but Daryl cut him off shaking his head. Rick met his eyes and Daryl shot him a look that had the man nodding.

"Tell me." His voice was like a razor sliding across your jugular tauntingly.

The boy looked around them and Daryl watched as Mac hand slipped around to his back and he held back his grin. Mac slid his knife from his belt sheath that laid at the flat of his back. Moving into the boys space he growled not even speaking out loud but his intentions were clear. Mac was always a man of action.

"Just give them the guns it's all they want."

Mac leaned into him the knife biting into the boys thigh, "For each minute that passes..." Mac sunk the knife deeper into him and the boy yelped.

Moving through the yard towards the garage Daryl watched as the boy limped ahead of them. Mac shot him a look and Daryl grimaced seeing the vengeful striking hammer that could be Mac's attitude echoing through his eyes. The last time he seen that look their father had died in a puddle of his own blood while Mac towered over him without a bit of remorse in him. You'd find no empathy, compassion, or remorse in Mac if he found you guilty and wanting, it was never good to play that side of things with him. You didn't fuck with people close to him or make idle threats he'd take them to heart and finish the war before the battle could start. They both were like that only Mac's fuse was non existent whereas Daryl had a fuse that needed to be lit to get him there.

"Best stop there."

"We want our girl." Rick called out.

"You okay?" The man in the center questioned the stupid fuck.

"They aint right in the head G."

Daryl kept his eyes scanning and snapped them up at the sound of scuffing feet. Andrea was led to the edge of the building her hands bound behind her back her mouth gagged. He heard a breath hiss through Mac's teeth and grabbed his brother before he could move.

"Give us the guns or be ready to come back cocked and loaded." The man snapped at Rick.

Daryl met the groups eyes seeing the man he had shot with his crossbow glaring at them. Andrea's eyes were scorching into Mac and he shot him a look seeing Mac watching her not even watching the men on the ground. Her eyes were brighter than usual and Mac's were wild, almost feral.

"You gonna give up all those guns?"

Rick shoved some into a bag and met his eyes, "Not all of them."

Mac and Daryl both picked up guns, Daryl pumping his shot guns as Mac done the same. The sound of the round sliding into the chamber and the smell of gun oil causing them to have a sense of déjà vu. It felt like many of times the brothers had broken down their guns together cleaning them and reloading before and after hunts.

Mac met his eyes and Daryl nodded to him. One way or another he'd make sure the woman made it back. He didn't know what was going on with them but he knew enough to know that Mac was likely struggling with the shit. If he felt anything for her besides just wanting to fuck her then he'd kill for her. Mac was serious about shit and if you won his loyalty then he was a force to be reckoned with, dangerous in his own right. Knowing that Andrea meant something to his brother, being able to feel it made getting her all the more important to him. He'd never leave her to begin with but Mac's attachment, even if unacknowledged, was power enough to bring out the side of the Dixon's you didn't ever wanna face down.